Barony of Umberfall
|image1 = Umberfallmapdraft.jpg}}The Barony of Umberfall or Umberfall is a fiefdom within the greater County of Fairshire, located in the Redridge Mountains. It is ruled by Lord Edrington Grunwald, patriarch of House Grunwald. The territory forms part of the Eastern March, with the barony’s boundaries extending into the Emerbron Mountains. The vast majority of Umberfall is composed of lowland valleys, hills, and rivers that cut through the land and feed into the Nazferiti in the south. Closer to the Emerbrons, highlands and canyon passes lead the way towards the mountains, with alpine forests carpeting most of the range. Umberfall is landlocked, with no natural access to the Great Sea. The coat of arms of Umberfall is a field of dark purple, topped by a white cog and a gold cross in the center. The purple represents nobility, ambition and wealth, while the cog stands for Umberfall’s reconstruction and industrial economy. Finally, the golden cross represents the province’s faith in the Holy Light, joining technological progress and religious fellowship together. History Origins "First the orcs, then Girart. Umberfall's known hardship from enemies within and without." Umberfall was previously known as the Barony of Therland, established long ago during the initial founding of the Kingdom of Stormwind. The first noble family to settle modern-day Umberfall, House Therwain, did so under the auspices of House Gwieven, the ruling counts of greater Fairshire. House Therwain ruled aptly for many years, as House Gwieven encouraged economic growth throughout the county by funding public works and mining expeditions into the Emerbron Mountains. Lord Rollant Gwieven, ruling Count of Fairshire, went further by agreeing to a marriage between his daughter, Lady Eustacia, and his then-newfound ally in the Count Mirwood, Lord Theodore De Vries. Though divided by a great distance, as the County of Mirwood bordered western Elwynn, the alliance was one based on a trade agreement that increased the value of both counties’ raw commodities. Lord Rollant took advantage of the growing economic momentum by expanding Fairshire’s common lands, building new townships, and paving new roads for trade and travel. His last great achievement was the finding of a gold vein in Therland’s mountains. In honor of the discovery, the Count Fairshire and the Baron Therland raised a new seat for the barony, creating the town of Goldcliff at the foothills of the Emerbrons. This time of prosperity ended with the arrival of the Orcish Horde during the First War. By the year 3 in the Lotharian Calendar, the Stormwind Army was unable to hold back the orcish invaders, resulting in a mass exodus to the northlands and the Kingdom of Lordaeron. House Therwain lost many of its nobles in the First War. To preserve what remained, a marriage was arranged between the last daughter of House Therwain to a baron from House Gwieven. This union led to House Gwieven absorbing House Therwain into its ranks, including Therwain’s territory in Therland. However, many years passed before House Gwieven returned to their lands in southeastern Elwynn. In the intervening years, the Orcish Horde turned the land to ash. Farms were salted, towns occupied and used as war camps, and iron mines worked by peons and captured slaves. By 6 L.C., the Second War drew to a close, as a massive Alliance counteroffensive drove deep into orcish territory in the southlands. The destruction of the Dark Portal that same year spelled the end for the remnants of the Horde, allowing the Alliance of Lordaeron to liberate the Kingdom of Stormwind and return the throne to House Wrynn. After the conclusion of the Second War and the coronation of Varian Wrynn in 7 L.C., the resettled Kingdom of Stormwind began the long road towards reconstruction. House Gwieven survived the Second War, successfully returning to its territories in the County of Fairshire. Under the direction of Lord Rollant Gwieven, now 72 years of age, House Gwieven began fixing the damage wrought by the Horde’s occupation. Farmland was restored, trees planted, and riverways repopulated with fisheries and trade posts. The towns of Fairshire were rebuilt, with new homes made available for the flocks of refugees returning from Lordaeron. In cooperation with Stormwind’s royal engineers and masons, walls were built around major town centers and roadways paved towards the capital in Stormwind City. Public works were funded by the Gwievens’ personal treasury, including memorials to the war and a restoration of common lands for farmers and ranchers. Most ambitious of all, Lord Rollant eagerly sought to reinitiate the mining efforts in Therland. Now under House Gwieven’s direct control following their previous marriage with House Therwain, the Count Fairshire renamed Therland to Umberfall. House-funded miners struck coal and iron at first, but deeper still resided the large gold vein that ran through the Emerbrons. Goldcliff was quickly reconstructed as well, attracting countless would-be fortune hunters. The new gold rush sped up the wheels of progress. Rise of Lord Girart By 10 L.C., an aging Rollant Gwieven was stricken with consumption and, in a year’s time, died in 11 L.C. Following the count’s death, the reconstruction’s momentum began to slow. Rollant’s brother, Girart Gwieven, took up the title of count shortly thereafter. The new Count Fairshire cared little for matters of state, let alone his brother’s reconstruction efforts. Instead, Lord Girart favored an extravagant life, fulfilling his own bon-vivant desires and ignoring his brother’s projects – except, of course, for the gold mines of the Emerbrons. He redirected workers and engineers involved in the county’s reconstruction to the mining effort. Goldcliff quickly became overpopulated, with the miners there bearing squalid living conditions in the hopes of striking it rich in the gold mines. Workers, however, saw diminishing returns for their labor. What was more, the gold vein in the Emerbrons began to dry up. Initial surveys proved incorrect, as the vein turned out to be much smaller than initially anticipated. To make up for lost revenue, many miners turned to the more plentiful iron and coal mines. Goldcliff, once a prosperous gold-rush haven, became a soot-covered mining and foundry town. Lord Girart did not care for the coal industry, though. Gold and silver, the precious ores that made up his county’s bullion economy, were his only focus. He sent countless expeditions into Umberfall, eagerly praying for new veins to come up. None did. In the meantime, Lord Girart spent extravagantly. Rather than invest his newfound wealth or save it in the house treasury, the Count Fairshire hosted lavish parties and constructed many homes for himself and his closest allies. His costliest endeavor was a mountainside escape, dubbed Mausir Castle, located on the cliffside near the town of Goldcliff. Lord Girart believed that the mines of Goldcliff would strike gold once more, and he wanted to be close by when it happened. However, Mausir Castle was Lord Girart’s most opulent monument to his splendor and, as such, cost a fortune to construct. The county’s folk suffered from exorbitantly high taxes, with most of the proceeds going to the construction of Lord Girart’s mountain palace. When tax revenue dwindled, the Count Fairshire demanded that his workers pay a labor tax – the people of Fairshire were, by law, expected to work for free in weekly shifts on the construction of Mausir Castle. Rebellion The Mausir labor tax was the last straw for the denizens of Fairshire. After decades of Lord Girart’s reign, a wave of riots broke out across the realm. Umberfall was hit especially hard, with Goldcliff nearly burnt to the ground during a miners riot that same year. Highvale, the seat of the county, was overrun with bands of highwaymen and rioters. The county’s economy had completely collapsed, as no workers mined the ores of the Emerbrons, no farmers harvested the summer’s crops, and no merchants peddled their trade. In response, Lord Girart appealed to his house’s allies in the County of Mirwood, having virtually ignored them since his rise to power. Lord Geoffrey de Vries, the ruling Count of Mirwood at the time, refused to assist his negligent ally, leaving the Count Fairshire to his fate. In anger, Lord Girart struck back, cutting off all trade with his partners in the west. Girart’s sanctions were the final nail in the coffin for Fairshire, as mass starvation set in and riots continued to spread. With insufficient trade coming into Fairshire and a lack of goods leaving the province, Lord Girart’s grip on the county slipped further and further. Finally, the long-awaited repercussions for Lord Girart’s poor rulership came about, as a riot in Goldcliff turned into a full-scale uprising. The Count’s guard could not stem the tide, as rioters formed a mob and marched on Mausir Castle. Underpaid and ill-prepared, the remaining guards fled or betrayed their lord, opening the gates and allowing the rioters inside. Mausir Castle was set alight, with Lord Girart attempting to flee for his life. Accompanied by a pair of guards and his favored mistress, Lord Girart escaped by stagecoach and made towards the border with Eastvale. As his party departed Mausir Castle, however, they were stopped by a roving gang of highwaymen. The bandits identified the Count Fairshire and his entourage, hauling them out by force and bringing them to Goldcliff. It is unknown as to who killed Lord Girart, but it was not long after his capture that he and his party were beaten and lynched in Goldcliff’s town square. With a province in open revolt, the nobles of southeastern Elwynn called for assistance from Stormwind City. The Crown dispatched a contingent of Stormwind guards to the area, but they found little resistance. Besides a few bandit gangs, the rebellious passions of Fairshire’s peasants and merchants had cooled after having rid themselves of the troublesome Lord Girart and they all patiently waited for the Crown to set Fairshire to rights. Seeing an opportunity in the wake of the revolt, the County of Mirwood announced a claim to the County of Fairshire by marriage, stating that the daughter of the Gwieven-De Vries marriage, Theodora De Vries, was the rightful heir to the territory. They supported the claim by stating that Lord Girart, last patriarch of House Gwieven, did not marry nor bear a legitimate heir. The Crown did not protest, desperately needing a noble house to restore order to the region. As such, House De Vries’ claim was legally recognized by House Wrynn and the House of Nobles, and all rights to the County of Fairshire transferred to them and Lady Theodora. The Stonewalls Lady Theodora arrived in Fairshire after decades of service with the Stormwind Army, dismayed by the state of affairs in the ruined county. Following the declaration of her new title as Countess Fairshire, she applied the same military mindset of strategic planning and ruthless efficiency to the reconstruction of the county. She addressed the people’s suffering from years of neglect and a failing economy, focusing on drafting more forgiving tax laws and labor programs that put much of the ailing peasantry to work. Trade was rekindled with the surrounding provinces and Mirwood in the west, as tons of imported foodstuffs and trade goods saw Fairshire through to the year’s end. The task of rebuilding Fairshire took time, but the Countess did not falter in her determination to see Lord Girart’s failings amended. Nevertheless, the effort was gargantuan and one that she could not address alone. Following the passing of her first husband, Lady Theodora married Lord Markus Stonewall, leading to House Stonewall absorbing the lands of Fairshire under his family name. The new rulers of Fairshire doubled their efforts on expanding the county’s workforce, growing new trade opportunities, and strengthening the weakened county militia so as to avoid a repetition of the anarchic revolts against Lord Girart. House Stonewall also divided the county into five baronies. These new baronies served as administrative zones, each with a ruling baron that formed part of a larger advisory council. House Stonewall did not want a repeat of the division and indecision that plagued House Gwieven’s last years as rulers of Fairshire. Furthermore, they entrusted the baronies to nobles they themselves brought into peerage, thus solidifying their loyalty to House Stonewall. Although these new peers lacked longstanding noble lineages, they were handpicked for their administrative competency and dedication – not the weight of their bloodlines. In 39 L.C., the Barony of Umberfall, one of the hardest hit provinces during the revolt against Lord Girart’s rule, was given to the newly raised House Grunwald. At the head of the house was Sir Edrington Grunwald, knight of Stormwind, who was bestowed the title of baron by House Stonewall. From the Ashes Sir Edrington, then made into Lord Edrington, Baron of Umberfall, was not chosen for the title at a whim. Besides being a friend and ally of House Stonewall, having previously worked as their steward, he was a decorated military veteran and experienced in matters of civil administration and statecraft. Previously, Lord Edrington was the lord-governor of Kingsland, a Crown colony located in the Cape of Stranglethorn. He had shown a great capacity for implementing economic programs, albeit with an iron fist. Lord Edrington recognized that the heavy-handed leadership of the frontier colonies would not work in a mainland territory, especially given Fairshire’s tumultuous history. Instead, he focused on appeasing the disillusioned populace by continuing Lady Theodora’s work programs and lenient tax laws, further focusing the revitalization effort by attempting to restart Umberfall’s once-thriving mining economy. To this end, Lord Edrington launched a massive recruitment campaign, incentivizing impoverished laborers, farmers, and miners in the neighboring shires to move to Umberfall with the promise of low rents and steady wages. To construct the new housing, he ordered for the remains of Mauser Castle to be dismantled, with the stones that remained used to lay the foundation for many new homes in the barony. The coin and labor of Umberfall’s peasantry was returned to them by way of new farmhouses, cottages, and town apartments. Lord Edrington, however, did not stop there. Although he needed a landed peasantry to work the fields and chip away at the rocks of the Emerbrons, he needed trade and, more importantly for him, new tools of industry. Surveys showed him that Lord Girart had barely acted upon the Emerbrons’ rich coal and iron deposits, and he saw this untapped resource as the gateway to Umberfall’s successful reconstruction. Immediately, he sent teams to explore the breadth of the coal veins, tracing them through the caves of the mountain range. The results were staggering – Umberfall’s mountains were rich in the black stone, and Lord Edrington intended to make the ore vital to his new economy. Instead of focusing on the pursuit of rare gold and silver or a purely agrarian economy, he intended to make Umberfall a haven for industry. Workshops and factories were to replace cottages and craft shops, foundries to smelt the iron necessary for machinery, and affordable housing to populate new working towns. Lord Edrington intended to make Goldcliff the exemplary industrial town, filled with shops, apartments, and centers for learning. In honor of his new programs, he renamed Goldcliff once more, declaring his new seat as the city of Blackcliff. The industrialization of Blackcliff and Umberfall would take time. Lord Edrington outlined a comprehensive plan for the barony. Coal mining was prioritized, followed by heavy investment in steam technologies. Raw goods from all over Fairshire would be traded for finished goods, made and shipped from Umberfall’s new workshops and factories. New roads and, more importantly, man-made canals were to be constructed for quicker transit across the realm, with the biggest canal being the Canthollow Canal heading southward through the new township of Canthollow and towards the Nazferiti River. The most critical change was the shift from feudal agrarianism to industrial wage-labor, especially in Blackcliff, as workers were paid in coin for their labor, not just the right to housing and a share of their labor’s product. Lord Edrington intended for workers to invest their hard-earned wages into Umberfall’s businesses, creating the framework for a self-sustaining economy. Capital, not accumulated wealth by way of bullion, would be king. Perhaps most ambitious of all was the Baron Umberfall’s plan for a rapid means of transport – the 'Ironroad.' Based on findings made after the war against the Iron Horde and new gnomish and dwarven technologies, Lord Edrington invested a great deal of funds into research and construction of a railroad that would run from Blackcliff all the way to central markets in Highvale, the seat of the county. However, the resources and manpower needed for the effort would be exorbitantly high. The line would require vast amounts of iron rail, not to mention the necessary workforce dedicated to moving earth and laying down the tracks. Not wanting to repeat the folly of Lord Girart’s greed, Lord Edrington proceeded slowly and with caution. He waited for Umberfall to settle into its new role, carefully examining the health of his nascent industrial economy. He knew that the barony would have to begin making profit before such a major construction project could begin, let alone gain the approval of his masters in Highvale. Nevertheless, Lord Edrington was determined to make the Barony of Umberfall the envy of every neighboring territory, as he did not want to forsake the trust given to him by the Counts of Fairshire. Major Settlements Blackcliff The city of Blackcliff is the seat of the Barony of Umberfall and the region’s largest settlement. Located in the foothills of the Emerbron Mountains, it is also the barony’s center for industry, coal, and iron mining. Blackcliff underwent many changes since its founding before the First War, having initially started as a gold-rush town named Goldcliff, located at the base of the Emerbrons. During the ruinous rulership of Lord Girart, Goldcliff was nearly burnt down by a miner’s riot. Many centers of business, including Goldcliff’s town hall, were consumed by fire, though most dwellings and the town’s church were spared from the destruction. Following the transfer of power to House De Vries, then House Stonewall following the marriage union, Goldcliff was prioritized for reconstruction as the barony’s seat. Lord Edrington, after his appointment as baron of Umberfall, utilized revenue from the coal and iron mines to fund the revitalization and expansion of the town. As it grew, Goldcliff required more dedicated governance. To that end, Lord Edrington appointed a municipal council, governed by elected councilors, to run the day-to-day affairs of the city and its outlying towns and villages. Shortly after his appointment, the Count Umberfall, in honor of the city’s coal mining economy, renamed the city from Goldcliff to Blackcliff. For a city, Blackcliff is not particularly large. The municipality of Blackcliff hosts a population of roughly twenty-five thousand people. The seat of the barony qualifies as a city only due to its slightly larger population and, more importantly, the local municipal council that governs its affairs. The Blackcliff Municipal Council oversees day-to-day business in the city, including tax collection, public works, maintenance of basic utilities, and ensuring the continued operation of the Emerbron mines. The council is governed by officials, titled simply as councilors, who are elected by the merchant and landholding classes of Blackcliff. Besides the council, there is also a municipal magistrate’s court, staffed by an appointee chosen by the Baron Umberfall, that serves as the barony’s judiciary and law enforcement. For all other executive decision-making, the municipal government council answers to the ruling baron, and they in turn answer to the counts in Highvale. The city government also oversees neighboring Canthollow, an unincorporated community under Blackcliff’s jurisdiction. Other smaller villages also fall under the administrative zone of the municipality and, as such, are dependent on Blackcliff for defense and maintenance of infrastructure. In addition to the other settlements under Blackcliff’s governance, the all-important Canthollow Canal also falls under the municipality’s jurisdiction. The municipal government is responsible for ensuring that the canal is operational and well guarded. Civil engineers and guards staff the Canthollow Locks, the mechanism responsible for opening and closing the way through the canal, and small patrol boats sail up and downstream to keep a watchful eye on the waterway. However, as the Canthollow Canal reaches further south towards the Nazferiti, other townships take responsibility for guarding the waterway as it passes through their zone of jurisdiction. For example, the town of Steven’s Ferry is the boundary line for Blackcliff’s control over the canal’s defense and operation. Regarding the city proper, Blackcliff is a walled city, separated into four quarters. The quarters are designed as plazas, each featuring a central square that houses that quarters’ most important buildings and sites. The first quarter, Stonewall Plaza, serves as the entryway into the city of Blackcliff. The main gate into the city and Stonewall Plaza is located in the southeastern portion of the city, and it is also the largest gatehouse in Blackcliff. Stonewall Plaza is also the city’s primary trade district, where merchants from all over the realm travel into the industrial city to sell and buy goods in the open-air market or in stores throughout the area. The plaza mostly houses traders and craftsmen, with the remaining buildings including guild offices and a guard barracks that tends to the city’s gatehouse. Other sites include most of the city’s primary and secondary schools, along with Blackcliff’s many counting houses and banking institutions. Moving clockwise from the main gate is Ironworks Plaza, the main industrial quarter dedicated to craftworks, blacksmithing, and foundries. Ironworks Plaza is occupied by the working classes of Blackcliff, with most laborers housed in large apartment buildings or multi-story homes shared by multiple tenants. There are few parks and greenspaces in Ironworks Plaza, as the skies above are tinted a yellowish-brown from the smokestacks that burn daily from the plaza’s factories and foundries. Mountain air, blowing down towards the valleys in the southwest, carries most of the smog away from the quarter and the rest of Blackcliff. Instead, the worthwhile sights and sounds of Ironworks Plaza are the many pubs and club buildings that line the main thoroughfares. Stores, advertising clothes and foodstuffs, tend to the needs of the working class, providing workers with plentiful options to spend their hard-earned coin on. Some schools, especially aimed at educating the youth of the working class, reside in the quarter as well, though must favor other quarters due to the distractions created by the loud factories and smelly canals. As for the workplaces of Ironworks Plaza, the factories, workshops, and foundries that occupy it tend to a diverse range of goods. Factories mass-produce clothing and parts for the wheels of industry, as foundries, their smelters burning hot, process iron ore from the Emerbrons. Coal, carted in from the mountain mines to the city’s coal yards, power the whole effort, as steam engines whine and whistle from the mechanical pressure. Runoff from these centers of industry trickles down to the expanded Blackcliff sewers, as waste and refuse is washed away to disposal sites outside of the city’s walls. After Ironworks Plaza, the penultimate quarter is Memorial Plaza, where all government buildings are housed. From the baron’s personal residence to the municipal court, Memorial Plaza is the heart of the barony’s administration. The most expensive housing is also located here, as government officials and the upper classes of Blackcliff call this quarter home. High-tier shops, selling the finest clothes, richest foods, and fanciest goods, restaurants, and cafes occupy the high streets of Memorial Plaza. As per its namesake, Memorial Plaza hosts a large monument in the heart of its square. Known simply as ‘The Memorial,’ this otherwise unnamed statue depicts a uniformed human soldier, bearing no specific coat of arms, holding the banner of the Grand Alliance. His likeness is unattributed, but there are rumors that Lord Edrington fashioned the statue after a personal comrade of his. Underneath the soldier is a brass plaque, bearing a statement in remembrance of those lost in the wars against the Alliance’s enemies. The statue stands in a small greenspace, aptly named Memorial Park. At the end of the park is the baron’s home, nicknamed the Grunwald Estate. Around the estate are several government offices, including City Hall, the Magistrate’s Court, the Constabulary, and Umberfall’s Home Guard headquarters to name a few. Blackcliff’s final quarter is St. Petrus’ Plaza, which is mostly dedicated to additional housing, places of spiritual worship, higher education, and parks for recreation. The plaza is named after Petrus Laurent, patron saint of craftsmen and blacksmiths. The quarter’s square hosts three key buildings, flanking the plaza on three sides. At one end is Blackcliff Church, dedicated to St. Petrus. Though smaller in construction, it is styled similarly to the one in Stormwind City, made of whitestone and supported by ornate buttresses. At the front are two large pinewood doors, reinforced by iron, and decorated with carvings. Atop the entryway is the barony’s motto, ‘Through Faith, For Progress,’ emblazoned in gold-colored filigree. Stained glass windows, depicting scenes from St. Petrus’ life on one side and the reconstruction of Umberfall on the other, culminate in a display of church iconography and depictions of the Holy Light and Its followers. Elsewhere, on the sides of the square, the University of Blackcliff, funded by the Baron Umberfall and other private donors, serves as the barony’s premier center of learning. The campus is contained in one building, centered around a large courtyard. Classrooms and lecture halls fill up most of the space in the university, with offices located off to the side of the main building. Finally, the Blackcliff’s Masons Guild headquarters occupies a place of prominence in St. Petrus’ Plaza, considering the city’s rapid reconstruction and ongoing expansions. The Masons Guild headquarters is a tall building, hosting not just the Masons Guild proper but other organizations like the Miners Guild. Beyond the square, parks occupy the smaller side plazas and open spaces, providing recreational grounds for the denizens of Blackcliff. Most homes in St. Petrus’ Plaza are modest ones, predominantly occupied by the city’s merchant class and higher wage-earning laborers. Church-funded poor houses, however, occupy grounds near Blackcliff Church, serving the city’s downtrodden and unemployed. Altogether, Blackcliff is a progressive and growing city, modernizing and industrializing. In many ways, however, it still bears the marks of traditional Stormwind urban life and architecture. Defensive walls are cut across by busy canals, stone towers join the skyline alongside coal-burning factories and their smokestacks, and craftspeople still exist alongside the mass industrial workforce. It is a young city, but vibrant and productive -- a symbol of rejuvenation, progress, and reconstruction in a land once neglected and ignored by the greed of its former ruler. Canthollow and Canthollow Canal Like neighboring Blackcliff, the town of Canthollow is a new addition to Umberfall’s landscape. However, unlike Blackcliff, Canthollow looks less like a typical Stormwind settlement and more like a Kul Tirasian or Gilnean trade or mill town. It was built for the express purpose of housing the workers needed for the construction of the aptly named Canthollow Canal, the main trade artery for Blackcliff. After the canal’s construction, Canthollow remained as a working town, housing small-scale industry and a growing merchant class. Farmland is cultivated on the outskirts of the town, sufficiently providing for the town’s populace. There are also some mining sites near Canthollow, but most mining villages are closer to Blackcliff and the Emerbrons. Besides housing and trade, Canthollow also has a local government building, simply known as the Town Hall, where the town’s denizens may petition with appointed administrators. The town also has its fair share of inns and taverns, tending to the needs of the tired working class or passing travelers on their way north to the barony’s capital. The Canthollow Canal itself is the product of a massive public works project, funded by both the Baron Umberfall and private investors. It began in Canthollow proper, stretching north towards Blackcliff. A city port was constructed around the southwestern walls of the capital, serving as a makeshift dock for riverine traffic. Brown-water ships then make their way southeast towards Canthollow, trading their goods or loading new cargo from the merchant warehouses. From Canthollow, traffic then turns straight south, making a beeline towards the border of the barony and the Nazferiti River beyond that. Being the largest river in the Kingdom of Stormwind, the Nazferiti allows access to Lakeshire in the east and the river-ports of Elwynn in the west. Some eager merchants undertake the long distance trip to the Vale, trading with Stormwind’s colonies in the region. This vast trade network means that Canthollow sees plenty of varied goods coming and going from its canal port, from finished industrial products made in Blackcliff, fresh wheat from Elwynn and Westfall, to exotic spices and foodstuffs from as far south as Kingsland colony. Greenbrook A border settlement near Eastvale and the King’s Highway, Greenbrook is the typical idyllic Stormwind town. The Greenbrook River, runoff from the Emerbrons in the northeast, provides it with plentiful freshwater for irrigation, making agriculture the town’s central economic activity. Grains, from wheat and corn in the summer and rye and spelt in the winter, are the backbone of Greenbrook’s economy. Accordingly, the town is home to many grain mills and silos, exporting its food surplus to industrial settlements like Blackcliff and Canthollow. While mostly a farming town, cottage industry also takes place in Greenbrook, as families work on spinning wheels and pottery-making. Besides this, Greenbrook is host to the usual array of town buildings, including a couple of inns, a smithy, and general stores located around a small market square. Near the outskirts of town runs the Greenbrook, powering watermills and providing for local fisheries. Riverine trade is limited on the Greenbrook, but a few lumber boats make their way down from Eastvale. Sherfield Like Greenbrook in the north, Sherfield is yet another standard farming town. Nestled between the Greenbrook to the north and the Springham to the east, Sherfield’s land is some of the richest in all the barony. Where Greenbrook subsists for itself, trading on occasion, Sherfield is the veritable breadbasket of Umberfall. It dwarfs Greenbrook’s agricultural trade to Blackcliff and Canthollow, as Sherfield’s grain fuels northern industry in the Emerbrons. What’s more, Sherfield is home to many bakeries and mills, meaning the town can produce finished foodstuffs and sell them at their negotiated price. What Sherfield lacks, however, is the diversity of labor that Greenbrook has. Cottage industry is limited, as most of Sherfield’s population is hard at work on the fields throughout much of spring and summer. In the winter, the populace busy themselves with crop management and festivals, mimicking the simple seasonal lifestyle of most of Stormwind’s peasantry. Still, the people of Sherfield are by no means poor, as their close proximity to the Canthollow Canal makes them the premier food exporter in the region. Graystone Springs Before the partition of the baronies by House Stonewall, Graystone Springs was a small village dedicated to woodworking, fishery, and patronizing local nobles seeking to escape the woes of everyday life by soaking in Graystone’s springs. When the Baron Umberfall began the construction of the Canthollow Canal, he called in many shamans and druids to assist with the effort. Dwarves, kaldorei and draenei, all skilled in their natural arts, moved heaven and earth to hasten the creation of the canal. However, they needed housing. Graystone Springs, so close to the vast Graystone Forest, became the perfect home for these newcomers. The integration of so many outsiders at once proved, at first, to be difficult. In time, though, shamans and druids that once worked on the Canthollow put their skills towards more efficient wood-gathering and fishery techniques. The kaldorei, protectors of the natural realm, used their ancient knowledge to harvest lumber without harming the Graystone’s native population of woodland animals or exhausting the wood supply. Draenei shamans introduced more controlled fishery along the shores of Lake Linden, while the dwarves used their keen senses and mountaineering expertise to hunt and mine the foothills of the Emerbrons. In a short span of time, Graystone Springs became an exemplar of Alliance cooperation. Of course, the hot springs remain open, welcoming everyday folk and nobles to relax and unwind after a busy harvest or a hard day at court. Dawnvale Of all the towns and villages in Umberfall, Dawnvale is the humblest of the lot. Its only claim to fame is its prime location along the southern highway, serving as an excellent stopping point for travelers on their way back north to the Emerbrons or southward to Graystone Springs or the border. Beyond that, however, it has little offer. Local farming is mostly, if not exclusively, dedicated to feeding the town’s population. To make up for the loss in revenue, Dawnvale plays to its strength as a traveler’s town by enticing those passing by with all sorts of little stops and points of interest. For instance, many claim that the county’s biggest battle of the First War against the Orcish Horde occurred just north of Dawnvale. Others say that Dawnvale was the birthplace of Alexia Thais, saint of redemption. Whether any of these legends are true or not is up for speculation, but Dawnvale’s people keep a cheery mood and advertise their charms to any who would spend a few minutes, and a bit of coin, to enjoy them. Steven's Ferry Only one town truly rivals Canthollow in riverine traffic, and that’s the town of Steven’s Ferry. What began as a small ferry crossing, supposedly manned by a man named ‘Steven,’ grew over time into a town dedicated to fishery and riverine trade. When the woeful years of Lord Girart’s rule began, Steven’s Ferry commissioned a small brown-water patrol to keep out any would-be bandits. As such, Steven’s Ferry weathered the tumultuous years of the former Baron Umberfall, standing primed and ready for the rapid industrialization project started by Lord Edrington. Watermills powered new commercial industries, river ports were expanded, and new ferry routes installed to hasten traffic across the Springham River. Although most canal-bound traffic begins and ends in Blackcliff and Canthollow, Steven’s Ferry enjoys the benefit of collecting import duties, serving as a rest stop for weary river sailors, and, of course, being the main crossing point for all land trade. It is a town dominated by a thriving merchant class, one that proudly pre-dates Canthollow. As such, even though Steven’s Ferry is home to some industry, many of the old merchant families there are too proud to let go of their old ways. ‘What Canthollow makes up with its gizmos and smokestacks,’ goes the saying from most town merchants, ‘Steven’s Ferry’s been doing right since the days of King Llane.’ Points of Interest Emerbron Mountain Marking the northeastern border of Fairshire, the Emerbron Mountains are part of the greater Redridge Mountains range. They encompass a large portion of Umberfall’s territory, reaching from the northernmost edges all the way to the south, enclosing the barony’s eastern reaches. The Emerbrons are also at the heart of the barony’s economy, providing the ores that are needed for the region’s industry. From coal to iron, the Emerbrons are the home and workplace of many Umberfallians, staffing countless miners and merchants along its foothills and in its depths. Blackcliff resides at the base of the Emerbrons, as does Canthollow and the Fortress of St. Thais. Graystone Springs has constructed mines into the Emerbrons, nestled in the foothills of Graystone Forest. Even though the Emerbrons are of vast importance to Umberfall, parts of the range remain undiscovered. Aside a few mountain passes leading into Redridge proper, most of the Emerbrons, as with other ranges, are impassable and pose a dangerous threat to any would-be explorers. Of particular danger is Mount Ironpeak, the highest mountain in the range. Rumor has it that Ironpeak is home to the largest iron lode in all the kingdom, but many discount the rumor as mere urban legend. Graystone Forest The Barony of Umberfall is a rapidly industrializing province, but that does not mean the territory is devoid of natural wonders. The Graystone Forest is the largest forest in the barony, home to various springs, rivers, and the great Lake Lemdeen. The many geothermal reactions that power the natural production of ores and reagents harvested from the Emerbrons are clearly seen in Graystone Forest, as geysers erupt frequently and springs carry the smell of sulfur and earth across the valleys. While mountain pines occupy the foothills, entire sections are known to clear away when geysers erupt with great magnitude, leaving swathes of land barren and desolate. In their explosive wake, nature quickly takes hold once more, aided by the druids and shamans of neighboring Graystone Springs. On the note of greenery, much of Umberfall’s lumber also comes from Graystone Forest. Lake Lemdeen The largest freshwater lake in all the province, Lake Lemdeen is a sight to behold. Spanning as far as the eye can see, Lake Lemdeen occupies a central place in the heart of Graystone Forest. Its rivers provide drinking water to Graystone Springs, while the lake proper is host to a wide variety of aquatic life. In the summer, people from all over Umberfall, and even greater Fairshire, make the trip to swim in the waters of Lake Lemdeen. Others, however, favor the neighboring springs, rich in mineral content. Legends have it that the waters of the Lemdeen springs are able to soothe the harshest of pains, cure the strongest of ailments, and wash away the stresses of day-to-day life. Besides fishery and water supply, though, Lake Lemdeen remains relatively untouched by order of the barony itself. Lord Grunwald, first baron of Umberfall under House Stonewall’s reign, was so moved by the sight of the Lake Lemdeen that he declared it a protected area. Fortress of St. Thais the Redeemed Built on the ruins of the old Mausir Castle, the Fortress of St. Thais the Redeemed is an imposing structure. Nestled along the mountainside of the Emerbrons, it is named after a saint of redemption, in reference to Umberfall’s reconstruction. St. Thais, as it is known in shorthand, serves as the primary defense of the barony’s capital and the central barracks for Umberfall’s Home Guard. The foundation of the old Mausir Castle was used to construct the fortress, with stone imported in or recycled from the old castle proper. The fortress features an outer wall and an inner citadel, the latter housing the castle that serves as the headquarters for all military activity in the barony. The former outer wall is the primary defense of the fortress, including watchtowers and shooting loops for missile troops and artillery. Nestled in between the two walls, the middle ring of the fortress includes barracks, storage, training grounds, medical pavilions, cookery stations, and all the other necessities of a standing garrison. In times of peace, the fortress is guarded by less than a hundred soldiers. In wartime, however, St. Thais can garrison hundreds of men and women, sufficiently armed and supplied to survive a siege of many months. Ostergard Tower Since antiquity, Ostergard Tower has stood watch over the southeastern reaches of Umberfall. At its conception during the early years of the kingdom, the Ostergard was an unwalled checkpoint garrison, housed by a knight and their guard. Historians state that its primary duty was protecting travelers coming along the main north-south highway, as merchants made their way up to Eastvale and south to the Nazferiti. The tower itself was three stories, though has since collapsed into only two. Reconstruction following the reign of House Stonewall has returned the Ostergard to working order, though it still shows signs of longtime use and decay. Crenellations and loop holes provide the principal means of defense, allowing the defenders to fire out of the tower and wall themselves up until further support arrives. No other stone structures were built at Ostergard, and the old wooden house built on to it has long since fallen to ruin. In its place, a small barracks building was constructed to house any additional soldiers manning the station. In times of distress, the garrison may use a flare to signal nearby patrols or neighboring Graystone Springs of impending danger or ask for aid. On occasion, tired travelers request to camp under the watchful eye of the Ostergard, resting up for the night before making their way back on to the barony’s north-south highway. Geography and Climate Like most other mountainous regions, Umberfall is part alpine highlands and part hilly lowlands. To the northeast, the Emerbrons dominate Umberfall’s horizon. The closer one moves towards them, the hillier and more wooded the area becomes. Gentle mounds turn into rugged ground very quickly, making it difficult for people to navigate without the assistance of roads. Further up towards the mountains are the many rivers, springs and lakes that fed into waterways like the Greenbrook River, the Springham River, or Lake Lemdeen. Feeding off the mountain water, pine tree forests are common along the foothills, with the largest being Graystone Forest. The air is particularly thin in areas like Blackcliff and Canthollow, making it difficult for some to live there. Further southwest, though, are the more placid lowlands. Hills are common, but vast stretches of land are occupied by nothing more than rolling seas of grassland. Some oak tree forests occupy the riverbanks, providing a bit of variety to the otherwise monotonous scene. Even further towards the borderlands out west, the mighty Elwynn Forest begins to spread into Umberfall, though the province is by and large more akin to Redridge or even Westfall. As for climate, Umberfall’s highlands are exceptionally dry while its lowlands receive rain from the west. The Emerbrons act as a buffer to rainfall, creating a rain shadow over most of the alpine highlands. The more verdant lowlands, however, enjoy seasonal rainfall as it comes in from neighboring Elwynn and Duskwood. Storms are uncommon but not rare, typically coming in accordance with the spring and summer. Snow is frequent closer to the highlands, though flurries may go as far southwest as the lowlands during particularly frigid winters. In the autumn, the evergreen pines remain a sharp contrast to the bricolage of colors encountered elsewhere in the region’s oak forests. Furthermore, wind as an ever-present force in Umberfall, as mountain air flows down the foothills and valleys towards the lowlands. Politics and Economy Politics of the Realm Like most other mountainous regions, Umberfall is part alpine highlands and part hilly lowlands. To the northeast, the Emerbrons dominate Umberfall’s horizon. The closer one moves towards them, the hillier and more wooded the area becomes. Gentle mounds turn into rugged ground very quickly, making it difficult for people to navigate without the assistance of roads. Further up towards the mountains are the many rivers, springs and lakes that fed into waterways like the Greenbrook River, the Springham River, or Lake Lemdeen. Feeding off the mountain water, pine tree forests are common along the foothills, with the largest being Graystone Forest. The air is particularly thin in areas like Blackcliff and Canthollow, making it difficult for some to live there. Further southwest, though, are the more placid lowlands. Hills are common, but vast stretches of land are occupied by nothing more than rolling seas of grassland. Some oak tree forests occupy the riverbanks, providing a bit of variety to the otherwise monotonous scene. Even further towards the borderlands out west, the mighty Elwynn Forest begins to spread into Umberfall, though the province is by and large more akin to Redridge or even Westfall. As for climate, Umberfall’s highlands are exceptionally dry while its lowlands receive rain from the west. The Emerbrons act as a buffer to rainfall, creating a rain shadow over most of the alpine highlands. The more verdant lowlands, however, enjoy seasonal rainfall as it comes in from neighboring Elwynn and Duskwood. Storms are uncommon but not rare, typically coming in accordance with the spring and summer. Snow is frequent closer to the highlands, though flurries may go as far southwest as the lowlands during particularly frigid winters. In the autumn, the evergreen pines remain a sharp contrast to the bricolage of colors encountered elsewhere in the region’s oak forests. Furthermore, wind as an ever-present force in Umberfall, as mountain air flows down the foothills and valleys towards the lowlands. Economy and Industry The unofficial motto of Umberfall is ‘coal and iron’ and with good reason. Lord Edrington’s rapid industrialization and reconstruction of the barony has depended on the extraction of these two resources from the neighboring Emerbrons to succeed. Everything depends on the mining, processing, and use of coal to power the foundries of Blackcliff. Iron is widely used in finished goods, including daily appliances and weapons for the military, and machine parts, the two largest exports from Umberfall to the rest of the county and the kingdom. Industry is not just vital to trade -- it is also the largest sector of employment for the barony, next to mining and agriculture. Most laborers in the Blackcliff municipality are industrial wage-workers, staffing foundries, factories, and coal yards. Industrial products range from finished textiles, ironworks, armor and weapon smithing, furniture, and food packaging. Of the latter, the most popular are jarred jams, pickled fish, and preserved meats. Tied to industry, mining is the lifeblood of Umberfall’s economy. Blackcliff, Canthollow, and Graystone Springs all employ a large population of miners, each working for their respective mining guild. Besides coal and iron mining, copper and the rare bit of gold or silver also make up a good portion of the mining economy. Industrial workers and miners may afford their own housing, but many, by choice or necessity, live in guild-funded housing within the city or town limits. Guilds and companies also follow a baronial decree regarding working and living conditions, wage controls, and labor laws preventing the employment of children. The last two major economic activities in Umberfall are agriculture and lumber. Towns like Greenbrook, Sherfield, and Dawnvale engage in plentiful agriculture, farming both for subsistence and export. Crops of prominence include the usual grains, mainly wheat but also rye and barley depending on the season. Potato farming is also plentiful, given the reliability of the crop to grow and thrive in any soil and weather. To supplement farmers, fisheries are also common along the many rivers and lakes of Umberfall. The Greenbrook and Springham rivers and Lake Lemdeen are the two primary fishery spots in the realm, but fish were introduced to the Canthollow Canal to further supplement the supply by way of dedicated fish farms. Finally, lumber is an important trade good in Umberfall. Most of it is imported from neighboring Eastvale in the north, but there are some plentiful forests in the barony itself, namely Graystone. Thanks to the influx of druids and shamans that assisted with the construction of the Canthollow Canal, lumber gathering in Umberfall is relatively noninvasive, specifically due to kaldorei wood-gathering techniques. Still, considering the need for lumber from growing cities like Blackcliff and its neighboring town of Canthollow, Umberfall relies heavily on its more wood-rich neighbors in Elwynn proper. Military Like any province of Stormwind under the rule of a noble peer, the Barony of Umberfall maintains a garrison to defend the territory. While some provinces rely on a levy, raised only in times of crises, Umberfall has a more standardized form of military organization. Instead of calling the populace to arms when needed, the barony has a standing force known as the Umberfall Home Guard, or simply the Home Guard. The Home Guard is made up of roughly a thousand soldiers, all trained and paid for by the Barony. These thousand soldiers are divided into ten companies of one hundred, each tasked with a specific garrison or duty. For example, the 1st Guard Company, also known as the ‘Honor Guard,’ is solely dedicated to the protection of Blackcliff and the baron’s family. Another is the 2nd Guard Company, nicknamed the ‘Canthollow Watch,’ who patrol the Canthollow Canal and defend the town of Canthollow. Companies may also be specialized, such as the 4th Guard Company, or the ‘Baron’s Royal Artillery,’ who are dedicated to field gunnery and engineering work. Although the force is comparatively small by Stormwind’s standards, the thousand-strong Home Guard make up for their lack of numbers in drill and equipment. Every soldier of the Home Guard, or ‘guardsman’ or ‘guardswoman’ for short, enlists by choice. Upon doing so, they are taken to the Fortress of St. Thais the Redeemed, the headquarters of the Home Guard. There, new recruits train for a total of ten weeks, with additional time taken for specialized positions such as artillery or cavalry. The 1st Company, for example, prides itself on a more rigorous training regimen, lasting approximately fourteen weeks. After completing their education at St. Thais, guards are sent to their posts. These can range from city watch, riverine patrols, or garrison duties at St. Thais itself. If the Kingdom of Stormwind, or by extension the Grand Alliance, finds itself at war, soldiers from the Home Guard are drafted into regular service. The soldiers of the Home Guard are just as likely to find themselves serving in the Eastvale County Reserve, part of the larger 2nd Elwynn Brigade of Stormwind’s Royal Army, or the Count’s Own Fifth Legion, an Alliance multinational force. In all cases, whether at home or abroad, Umberfallians are typically assigned as foot infantry, riflemen, or army engineers and artillery gunners. Due to the realm’s industrial capacity, the Home Guard have a standardized uniform and kit, all paid and provided by the baronial state. Guards wear different types of clothing or armor depending on their role. Most guards wear cloth and leather, specifically a padded coat, leggings, belt, marching boots, sturdy handling gloves, and a bicorn or tricorn depending on individual company standards or availability. Clothing colors vary, but the Home Guard favors brown, deep blue, dark purple, and earthy green. To display their position in the Home Guard, recruits also wear a badge on their collar, made of brass and emblazoned with the letters ‘H.G.’ on a field of blue. Tabards are usually restricted for ceremonial use, as they bear the coat of arms of the Barony of Umberfall. A company number is sewn on the shoulders, so as to easily distinguish that guard’s home unit. Piping is also common, with different colors representing different duties. For example, white represents foot infantry, green for cavalry, and purple for artillery. Even though most guards wear cloth and leather uniforms, Umberfall also readily provides armor when needed. These plate and mail uniforms, however, do not resemble the complete sets of Stormwind’s knights and heavy infantry. Instead, guards wear mass-produced munitions plate, or armor specifically made for versatility and ease of use, rather than custom made for each soldier. Breastplates, augmented by scale or mail shirts, along with armored gauntlets, boots, and helmets, are the norm. Most metal colors range from steel to brass. Regardless of uniform, most soldiers carry a standardized loadout depending on their role. Foot infantry have sabres and rifles, with heavier frontline infantry also given a buckler shield for personal protection. Some foot infantry also carry pikes and halberds as part of their kit, supplementing these bulky weapons with pistols or short-swords for personal protection. Cavalry are much the same, carrying cavalry sabres, lances, and braces of pistols with them. For more explosive damage, some infantry may be assigned handheld grenades before a particularly nasty engagement. Finally, besides weapons, guards are given a rucksack to carry their belongings in, a bedroll, and a belt with pouches to store ammunition, poultices, and other assorted items.Category:County of Fairshire Category:Places Category:Locations